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Judith McSoley fund for Children

"We cannot give up on any child. Every child needs to belong to someone. To have someone to love and care for them, celebrate their accomplishments, comfort them when they are hurt and most certainly, to help them navigate the curves that life throws them.”
- Judy McSoley

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Judith McSoley, long-time Adoption Rhode Island Director of Development and our own Angel in Adoption worked tirelessly to be sure that we all could make a difference in the lives of children and teens in foster care. Judy was the driving force behind many of ARII’s programs including the Heart Gallery. She brought countless partners and friends together to work on behalf of the children and families she loved. It was impossible to say no to Judy or to not be inspired by her passion and devotion.

Especially close to Judy’s heart were the teens at risk to age out of care who found Judy to be a fierce advocate. She believed in the possibilities for their future when provided the resources to succeed.

The tremendous outpouring in her name and memory from those who loved Judy led the McSoley Family to establish a permanently endowed fund to provide an annual gift to Adoption Rhode Island. In keeping a promise to Judy that her legacy will have a positive impact in the lives of the young people who meant so much to her, annual proceeds from the fund will be dedicated to ensure teens leave foster care on a path to the best possible future.

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The Judith McSoley Fund for Children provides direct support to teens to help overcome barriers to their educational, career and life success—helping to change the future for all teens in care.

Impact of the Judith McSoley Fund for Children to date:

2018

Provided scholarships for two foster care alumni to attend the FCN Foundation Alumni Powerhouse Networking Conference in June 2018. As a result of this experience, the young people who attended inspired ARI’s launch of LevelUP, a Leadership Summit for Foster Youth and the establishment of a Foster Care Alumni Group in RI.

2019

Provided a scholarship for a recent CCRI graduate to pursue a degree in Social Work from Rhode Island College and fulfill his intention to embark on a future that will contribute to breaking the cycle of poor outcomes for other young people who have been in foster care.

The Judith McSoley Fund for Children was established with donations made in Judy’s memory from her friends and family. Additional donations to help the fund grow are welcome.

Contact Jennifer Foster, jfoster@adoptionri.org, to make a donation to the Judith McSoley Fund for Children. Or, make your donation here:

Donate for Judith McSoley Fund